Endless Adventure: Night Guard
by kta250298
Summary: Kendrick has tracked down a Zalgo infection, but needs a job to support his hunt. Good thing a local pizzeria is hiring, right? Note: Kendrick's not speaking English, everyone is speaking Russian.
1. Chapter 1

Before I met Luffy and the rest of the straw-hats, there was a time I found myself on a planet not too different from my own. There was evidence of Zalgo's corruption, but I couldn't pinpoint an exact culprit. Soon the cost of living caught up with me, and I had to find a job. I could go a few days without eating, but everyone had their limits. I briefly considered stealing to get by, but I had taken my sister and Doc's advice to heart to try to better myself.

* * *

><p>Soon I found myself standing outside a gaudy looking building. It was one of those arcade-party places that were popular with Americans, a Chucky-Cheese kind of thing. I had found a help-wanted add in a newspaper, they were looking for night guard and a mechanic. Both of those roles I could fill, so it seemed like an obvious choice. Walking in, my ears were assaulted by the sounds of children playing and games running. I was surprised at how nice the place seemed, expecting something much worse so it could match the sign outside.<p>

"Hello!" A woman behind a desk greeted. "Welcome to Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria!"

I was directed to the manager's office, a portly gentleman who seemed to always be smiling.

"Welcome! My name is James, James Schmidt." Mr. Schmidt greeted, shaking my hand. "Please, take a seat. I assume you're here about the janitorial position?"

"Actually, I'm here because of the paper-ad about a night guard." I corrected, causing his smile to grow wider.

"Really? That's great!" Mr. Schmidt exclaimed. "We've been having some trouble finding someone reliable. How soon can you start?"

"As soon as you need." I answered. "I just hope you'll still hire me after I explain some things."

Mr. Schmidt's smile wavered a bit, but it persisted still.

"As I'm sure you noticed, I wear a mask." I continued. "That, and you can't see my skin. I have a…condition that affects my appearance, and I find that people have adverse reactions to seeing me without being covered."

"I'm certain it's not that bad." Mr. Schmidt remarked, like so many others. "We're adults, I'm sure your coworkers and I can handle it."

"With all due respect sir, you're not the first person to say that." I responded. "And I can guarantee you won't be the last. All I'm asking is that I'm allowed to make adjustments to any uniform."

"I don't see any reason you couldn't. Is there anything else I should know?" Mr. Schmidt asked.

"I also have a background in mechanics, and a case of-" I started, about to explain the problem of Zane.

*I'm not a problem you cunt-bag*

"You're hired!" Mr. Schmidt interrupted. "I'm sure anything else is inconsequential, you won't believe how impossible it is to find a mechanic in this town. How soon can you start, is today good?"

"I'd need a place to stay…"

"The break room has a couch, will that do? Please, if your skills are up to snuff it would help greatly. I can barely afford the band's upkeep."

"The band's upkeep…?"

"Yeah, you won't believe how much they charge when they know you're desperate."

"No, I meant _what_ band. There's a band?"

Mr. Schmidt looked confused for a moment.

"Of course, the main attraction. Freddy Fazbear and his friends."

* * *

><p>In hindsight, it would have been a good idea to look up this place more than not at all. Standing on a stage before me were creatures straight out of my nightmares. Actually, that's a little harsh. As far as animatronics went, they didn't look that awful. The band I was being told about was made up of three characters; Bonnie the Bunny, Chica the Chicken, and Freddy Fazbear who was the leader. In a different part of the pizzeria was a play area called "Pirate's Cove", where Foxy the Pirate made his home. It was easy to tell which animals the three were supposed to be, even without knowing their names. At the same time, they weren't too dissimilar from human shape. Their appearance was tip-toeing the line into Uncanny Valley, but kept just shy of it in a way that was almost charming. It worked for children I suppose.<p>

Clearly supposed to be feminine, Chica's casing was covered in a soft-looking yellow fur. A small beak sat under bright eyes, and a "Let's Eat!" bib-thing was wrapped around her neck. Bonnie appeared to be younger than Chica and Freddy, somewhere between 12 and 15 if I had to guess, a red bow tie around her neck. I couldn't quite tell what gender Bonnie was supposed to be, her purple fur and shape making her appear androgynous. I only decided she was a 'her' so I could appease my OCD, making it two girls and two boys at Freddy's. Freddy himself was about as tall as me, perhaps a bit shorter, but he was wide as all hell and covered in brown fur. It made sense for the leader bear to be stocky and big, and a dark top hat and bow tie made up his outfit. I went to see Foxy later, who was as tall as Freddy, but much skinnier as to appear slightly lanky. An eyepatch rested over his right eye, and a shiny silver hook replaced his right hand. Red fur and a slightly pronounced muzzle completed the fox image.

As I watched them perform, barely listening to Mr. Schmidt as he explained they were gifted to him by an old friend, I noticed that Freddy appeared to give me a strange look every once in a while. I shrugged it off as my paranoia, how can an animatronic give someone a "look"? I gave one last glance at the band before leaving. I had to return at 10 tonight to pick up my uniform and learn the basics, so that gave me a few hours to search for leads on Zalgo.

* * *

><p>After hiding the Heart of Gold behind Freddy's, I got set up in the security office. Changing into my security uniform, I was slightly disappointed to find that I had nothing to cover the back of my neck as the hat they gave me only came down so far. Deciding it was acceptable, I grabbed my toolbox and started to do my rounds. The lights were dimmed after hours, and my alterations made it so I had no problem seeing.<p>

Humming a tune as I walked around, I checked the games to make sure they were working. Coming upon a pinball machine adorned with a "Broken" sign, I popped it open and went to work. As I worked, I heard a noise coming from the kitchen. Stoping, I slowly opened the door to investigate. Looking around, I almost gave a scream when I noticed Chica bending over to pick up a fallen pot.

I stood there, waiting for her to move before I realized what an idiot I was being. Animatronics don't move on their own, one of the other people who work here must have set this up. Grumbling to myself about being tricked, I picked up Chica and maneuvered it back to the stage. It was a pain considering how rigid they were, and its awkward position, but I managed to get it back into position.

Doing one last pass, I returned to the security office and watched the cameras for the rest of the night.

* * *

><p>The next few nights were much of the same, I did a sweep for anything broken and put any animatronics that were out back into place. The others denied to be the ones doing it, but I didn't believe them. It's not like the band can move around on their own. Oddly enough, Freddy has yet to be moved. I figured it was too heavy for any of my coworkers to lift, not that the others are feathers themselves.<p>

For whatever reason, Chica seemed to gravitate toward the kitchen.

_"No, not gravitate. That would imply s-it was moving herself."_

For whatever reason, the other workers liked putting Chica in the kitchen. I'd usually hear someone messing with the lots and such, but would only end up finding the chicken.

_"They put a lot of effort into trolling me, balancing everything so it doesn't fall immediately."_

Obviously not a great explanation, but it was the best I could come up with.

*I have a better one.*

_"Shut up, you're wrong."_

*It's the only thing that explained everything. Occam's razor; the simplest answer is often the best.*

_"First of all, that's not what it means. Second; your answer is far from simple. Lastly; where did you even learn that?"_

*Fuck you, I know things.*

_"Then you should know animatronics can't come alive."_

*Honestly, with all the other shit we've seen, would you even be surprised?*

_"We both know we'd be too terrified to be surprised, I can barely handle finding them posed everywhere."_

*Which is exactly why we should leave.*

"We need the money."

*Bullshit.*

"I suppose we don't have to eat…"

*You fucking know what I mean. We don't need a job."

"We aren't stealing anything."

"Well, that's good to know."

I shrieked a bit, startled by the new voice. Spinning around, I saw Mr. Schmidt looking at me. He was clearly amused by the fact he snuck up on me, barely able to contain his grin. Leaning against a pinball machine, I waited for my heart to calm down before responding.

"Hey boss, have you ever considered becoming a ninja?" I asked, grinning a bit.

"Ha! You give me too much credit, it's easy to sneak up on someone distracted with talking to themselves." Mr. Schmidt replied, waving it off. "It's opening time, so your shift is over."

"Alright, I'll see you tonight." I said, returning to the office.

"Make sure you get some sleep." Mr. Schmidt called after me. "It won't look good for Freddy's if one of our employes goes mad."

"I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

><p>Tuesday night came, and with it a new chair. I had found it on my way to work, and Mr. Schmidt didn't mind me installing it.<p>

*I thought we weren't going to steal?*

_"I thought dentists weren't people?"_

*Touché*

Relaxing in my new seat, I watched the cameras. I was almost disappointed nothing happened. Bored out of my mind, I decided that I would find a book or something for next time. Eventually I couldn't take it anymore, and left the office. For whatever reason, I soon found myself standing before the stage. Staring at Freddy and the band, a sense of unease fell upon me. Something was…off about them, a secret they were keeping. Climbing up to get a better look, I slipped and crashed into the head bear.

"Shit!" I exclaimed, grabbing Freddy to try to support myself.

Instead, the metal bastard came with me. With a grunt of pain, I ended up under the dead gaze of Freddy Fazbear. My breath catching in my throat, we stared at each other for what felt like forever, before I finally couldn't take it and threw it off of me. Waiting until my ragged beating and racing heart calmed down, I put Freddy back into place. Making a beeline for the security office, I didn't leave for the rest of the night.

* * *

><p>Wednesday; the half-way point until my first paycheck. Watching this place for three-hundred dollars a week wasn't too bad apparently, and wasn't that hard of work. Never mind the occasional heart-wrenching fear. Like tonight for instance. It was all going good, fixing a foosball machine and repairing the popcorn maker, then I found Bonnie in my office. Sitting in my chair.<p>

"What the hell?" I mumbled, slowly edging closer to the animatronic. Leaning over it, my heart about jumped out of my throat when it's eyes slid open.

"Aaahhhh!" I screamed, falling to the ground.

There was a quiet gasp, then Bonnie twitched and fell next to me. A startled "eep!" escaped my lips as I slid away. Too scared to move, I stared down the rabbit and waited for it to move. After nothing happened for a while, I gingerly poked it with my foot.

Nothing.

Taking a few deep breaths, I picked Bonnie up and carried it back to the stage. Carefully reinstalling it, I did a final check before turning in for the night.


	2. Chapter 2

The rest of the week followed a similar pattern of sweeping and fixing. Little progress had been made regarding Zalgo, but I was feeling confidant that something would come up. I had slowly turned the security office into a little home for myself, even getting permission to replace the chair with one that laid back. The fact it could also spin was a bonus. Moving in a file cabinet and dartboard, I used them to keep track of Zalgo and any clues to where his infection was located. As this was before my coat could fold space onto itself, I also had a trunk to keep hold off all my knick-knacks and souvenirs. Soon came Sunday, the day I had been dreading.

* * *

><p>Mr. Schmidt had asked me to watch the place on the one day it was closed, as it was often when any break-ins happened for a business. I had accepted without thinking too much about it, and was soon subjected to Zane's rants about how much of an idiot I am for "willingly locking us in with those lifeless freaks!". My rebuttal of how much of a bitch he was being for fearing "lifeless freaks!" was swiftly met with forced memories of being slowly torn apart by hoards of undead. Not pleasant, especially when you can't die.<p>

When Saturday night came, I got ready for the long haul. A few instant meals and two liter bottles of soda. One of the few good things that came with Zalgo's experimentation was that proper nutrition could go fuck itself. As long as I could digest it, it was free game. Surgery things seemed especially effective for whatever reason, and that had led to me developing a taste for fruity candy. Bags of sour gummy worms and Skittles where within reach as I laid back in my chair, getting comfortable.

* * *

><p>Noticing someone sneaking around, I got up and walked out to the pizzeria proper. Searching for any sign of the intruder, I was about to shrug it off as nothing when I heard someone knock over a chair. Twisting around, my heart seized when I saw Bonnie. Staring the rabbit down, my mouth gaped open when I saw her ear twitch. Suddenly, I heard a crash behind me as someone kicked open a door. Distracted, I turned to investigate before realizing what I had done. Immediately returning to Bonnie, I gasped when she wasn't there. Spinning around, I was bowled over by someone who had snuck up on me. Hitting my head on a table, my vision blurred for a moment before I could get a good look at my attacker.<p>

As they ran off, I swallowed my fear and chased after whoever had broken in. Convincing myself that I hadn't seen what I saw, I chased down the intruder. They didn't move very fast, but they clearly knew the layout better than I did as they dodged things I tripped up on. If the way they ran was any indication, something was wrong with their right leg.

"Stop!" I yelled, getting annoyed as I stubbed my toe on a sudden rise. "I'm not letting some kid break in here and get away on my first weekend!"

So began the chase. For whatever reason, the figure I was running after didn't try to leave. It was like they were hoping I would tire out and give up. Realizing that we had ourselves trapped in a loop, I took a risk and turned back the way we came. Almost shouting in joy, I tackled the annoyance to the ground. Instantly, they locked up and went rigid. Anything I was going to say caught in my throat as I got a good look at Chica, who I was straddling.

"What in the fuck…?" I mumbled, immensely confused.

"Hey! Watch your language." Chica scolded, her hands slapping over her "mouth".

With a scream, I fell backwards onto the floor and scrambled away. Backing into someone and flipping them over me so they landed in my lap, I found myself looking down on Bonnie. We stared at each other a bit, her floppy ears unfurling from over her eyes, then I screamed.

"Aaahhhhh!"

Causing Bonnie to scream.

"Aaaaahhhh!"

Which caused me to scream again.

"Aaaahhhhh!"

"Aaahhhhhh!"

"Aaaaahhhh!" "Aaaaahhhh!"

Rolling Bonnie off me, I got to my feet and tried to run. I say tried, because I quickly ran into the brick shithouse that was Freddy.

"Whoa there buddy, just calm down a moment." He said, trying to be calming. "Let's just take a deep breath and-"

"Yarr, what's all teh ruckus?" A voice said, prompting me to turn my head.

There stood Foxy, looking at us with a surprised expression on his face. This was the straw that broke the camels back, as I froze up with a stupid grin on my face.

"…The animatronics are alive." I said to myself. "Heh. Heheh. Hahehe. Hahahaha. HAhahaha. HAHAHAHA-Aaaaahhhh!"

With a final scream, I timbered backwards and slammed into the ground. The last thing I saw before fading into unconsciousness was a worried yellow face leaning over me.

* * *

><p>With a start, I woke up screaming (which was unfortunately nothing new). Looking around, I found myself in the security room. I checked the time.<p>

6:00 AM

Pulling off my mask to wipe away my tears, I noticed a note fall to the ground.

"Please don't tell anyone, we'll explain everything." It said.

"The fuck is going on here?"

*I don't care, let's just bail.*

"I can't just leave, we need money."

*The fuck we do, we can just take what we want.*

"No, we can't."

*Yes, we can. It's actually really easy, I'll even do it for you.*

"Let me try again. I don't _want_ to."

*Fucking bitch.*

Considering my options, I decided to come back later after taking a break. I needed the job, and if worst comes to worst I would get the chance to beat down on some animatronics. It could be cathartic.

* * *

><p>Nervously glancing at the cameras, I watched for any strange going-ons. I quickly remembered that one of the chefs told me something had happened with Foxy, or so he overheard from the din of the main establishment. Steeling myself, I made my way to Pirates Cove.<p>

The place was about what you'd expect, a pirate themed play area for the kids. The main part of the attraction was Foxy, who stood on the bow of a half sunken ship that was surrounded by fake treasure. He cycled through telling jokes, saying pirate-y things, and the occasion shanty.

For now, he was lain haphazardly on a nearby table, a few errant pieces scattered around him. From the way his legs were bent, something must have failed in the locking mechanism that kept him aboard the ship. Cautiously, I walked over to him and set up what I needed. Waving my hand over his face, and breathing a sigh of relief when nothing happened, I went to work.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long to fix him back up, but then I discovered a new problem. He wouldn't come back on. I searched everywhere, but for the life of me I couldn't find a battery or switch or anything that would activate him. In my searching, I noticed that Foxy seemed pretty sophisticated for an animatronic. If I wasn't so focused on turning him on, I probably would have found this odd.<p>

"Fucking damn it all!" I shouted, pissed of that I couldn't figure out the problem. "Why won't you turn on! Fucking fuck-fuck!"

"What did I say about language?" A voice behind me said.

Screaming a bit, I rolled forward and spun around.

"Who's there?!" I demanded, threateningly brandishing a screwdriver.

Chica stepped from behind a corner, looking mildly annoyed.

"Would you please stop screaming?" Chica requested. "It scares Bonnie."

Any rebuttal I had died in my throat when I was reminded of the other two. Quickly looking around, I started to panic when I couldn't find them anywhere.

"Where are they? What do you want!" I growled, backing towards the wall.

"Freddy and Bonnie are waiting by the stage." Chica explained, stepping closer. "We decided that-"

"Don't! Just…stay there." I ordered. "Don't get any closer."

"Alright honey, just calm down." She soothed, putting her hands up. "There's some things we need to talk about. That's why you came back, right?"

"Honestly, I was hoping Zane was pulling some bullshit." I replied. "He's kind of a dick like that. Or my lack of sleep had caught up with me, that's another one. Pretty much anything other than haunted animatronics."

*Fuck you, I'm the one that said not to come back.*

"You say lots of shit, am I supposed to believe all of it?"

"How rude, we've barely spoken to each other." Chica responded, indignantly crossing her arms.

"I wasn't talking to you, I was…never mind." I sighed, cursing my lapse. "Just say what you have to say."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…Well?"

"…I don't know what to say."

If this was an anime, I would have fallen to the ground.

"Then why did you try to talk to me?" I asked.

"I want to explain everything, but I'm not sure how." Chica admitted, looking awkward. "Everyone else ran away by now."

"_~sigh~_ Then let's start from the top." I offered. "Why are you haunted?"

"Haunted? We're not haunted." Chica responded, sounding confused. "Why would you think we're haunted?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe because you're walking around and talking and shit like that?" I answered. "That could have something to do with it!"

"Must you use such vulgarities?" Chica scolded. "Anyway, we're not haunted. We're…robots."

"Really, I couldn't have fucking guessed that?" I chuckled. "Lets see; metal parts and protective casings? Clearly a damn tree."

"_Specifically_ we're not animatronics." Chica continued, glaring at me. "We're something more. In Foxy's mouth is a switch, press it."

*Does she think we're fucking stupid? Like we're going to fall for-wait, the fuck are you doing!*

Pressing the switch, there was a hiss as Foxy's head opened up. Two halves slid back to reveal…something glowing.

"…What am I looking at?" I asked, slightly amazed at what I was seeing.

A metal sphere adorned with glowing red lines rested inside a padded case hidden in Foxy's head, a small well of what appeared to be oil just under it.

"Calling it our brain would be accurate, but to be honest we aren't sure ourselves." Chica explained. "All were sure of is that it's not normal."

"Defiantly, the only thing can can come close is…Doc's core." I said, slowly realizing what I was looking at. "Holy shit, you're an AI."

"A…I?" Chica echoed. "What does that mean?"

"I had friend who was just like you, who could think and feel and do all of the stuff humans could do." I explained. "He had something like this, but it was far larger. To see a core this small is…amazing to say the least."

Worrying was something else that could be said. Technology this advanced should be impossible from what I've seen of this world so far, it had to be planted here. But why? And by who? As I was thinking over this, I noticed something sticking out of Foxy's core. Pressing it back in, the core's glow switched from red to green as a spark flew up my arm and shocked me.

"Holy fuck!" I swore backing up.

"Are you alright?" Chica asked worriedly, closing the distance between us. Taking my hand in her's, she started looking it over for damage.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I answered. "It's just numb."

"That's good, nothing permanent." She said, breathing a sigh of relief.

Apparently just noticing what she was doing, she hastily dropped my hand.

"Sorry." She apologized, backing away.

"It's alright, I'm over the whole 'freezing terror' thing." I replied. "Sorry about accusing you of being haunted. Possessed animatronics are kind of a big deal for me, can't handle it."

"So, no more threatening me with a screwdriver?" Chica smirked, crossing her arms.

"Not unless you want me to." I smirked, playfully poking it towards her. "Best be careful, I'm armed and dangerous."

"Oh no, whatever shall I do?" Chica mocked, a look of "horror" on her face. "Please don't hurt me Mr. Guard, I don't want to be _screwed_ to death."

"Bwahaha! Sorry, you don't have the necessary parts for me to do that." I laughed. "You don't have the right 'access port'."

"An innuendo and a robot joke?" Chica replied, glaring at me. "You're simply the worst."

Before I could reply, I was interrupted by a sudden tackle.


	3. Chapter 3

"Yarr! Be leavin' the lass alone scoundrel!" Foxy yelled as we crashed into the ground.

"Foxy! What are you doing?" Chic demanded.

"Now's yer chance, Chicky!" Foxy shouted, holding me down. "Run whilst I deal with this here sea dog!"

"I'd like to see you try!" I exclaimed, throwing Foxy off of me.

Foxy rolled a bit, then scrambled to his feet. He charged me again, wrapping his arms around my waist in an attempt to knock me down. I tanked it, bringing my fists down on his back. With a crunch, he went limp as his support buckled. Flailing his arms uselessly, he started yelling about how he wouldn't let me hurt his friends.

"Foxy, I'm not going to hurt anybody." I said, taking note of his situation. "Well, nobody else at any rate."

"That's something we can agree on." A new voice said, prompting me to turn right into a large fist.

"Freddy!" Chica exclaimed as I rolled across the ground.

"Bonnie, get Chica out of here!" Freddy ordered, picking me up.

Growling, I pushed off Freddy's chest and forced both of us to the ground. Getting back to my feet, I sat on Freddy and held him down.

"Get off me!" He yelled, trying to fight against me.

"Not until you listen!" I yelled back. "I'm not trying to hurt anybody, Foxy attacked _me_."

"A likely story." Freddy replied.

"He's telling the truth." Chica said, Bonnie uselessly pulling on her arm. "Foxy attacked us, but I-Bonnie, please stop it. But I don't know why."

We all turned to the pirate, who was in the process of crawling towards me with a wrench in his hand. Realizing he had been found out, he stopped and dropped the tool. We all stared at each other for a moment, then Foxy spoke up.

"Arr, why be everyone looking at me?" He asked, still shouting.

"Why did you attack me?" I asked, getting off Freddy.

Gaining no response, I tried again. And again. Then Chica tried, followed by Freddy and Bonnie.

"Garr, I be realizin' I canne hear!" Foxy yelled. "I would be appreciable if the scoundrel would fix me ear-parts!"

* * *

><p>After fixing Foxy's "ear-parts", everything was explained to the others. We soon found ourselves sitting around a table as I finished Foxy's repairs.<p>

"Yarr, I be sorry for tryin' ta keelhaul ye." Foxy apologized.

"It's alright, not the first to try to kill me." I said, replacing broken parts of his frame.

"Really?" Bonnie asked, her voice timid.

"Unfortunately." I answered, helping Foxy stand. "When I'm not here, I have a dangerous job."

"What is it?" Chica asked.

"Where are some…people I'm looking for." I answered. "Very bad people."

"What do they look like? Maybe we've seen them before." Freddy offered.

"I doubt that, but it couldn't hurt to tell you." I answered. "I'm not certain what they look like, but I know they'll have markings on their bodies. It'll look like veins tattooed all over them."

"Why are you looking for these people?" Bonnie asked. "How do you know they're bad?"

"They've hurt a lot of people, and are trying to hurt even more." I answered vaguely, not wanting to get into the details. "They're sort of like a gang, so I've been trying to stop them."

"Arr, why donne ye tell the officers?" Foxy suggested.

"They can't be trusted." I answered. "If you don't mind, I really don't want to talk about it. Now, does anybody else need fixing?"

* * *

><p>Some small repairs later, and I found myself alone with Chica. I was fixing her leg when she finally asked the question I had been waiting for.<p>

"Why do you wear a mask?" She asked.

"There's a few reasons, the main one being that I don't like my face." I answered. "It reminds me of all my failures, so I'd rather not have it out in the open. Also, I'm ugly."

"You can't look that bad." Chica responded.

"You're not the first person to say that, and you won't be the last." I said, echoing what I told Mr. Schmidt.

"Honey, I have a beak." Chica noted. "If it can fit under the mask, it's can't be that awful."

"I think the beak makes you look cute." I mentioned, deflecting the conversation away from me.

It went quiet for a while, making me worry. Looking up, I found Chica stating at me with a surprised look on her face.

"I'm sorry if that was too much." I apologized.

"It's alright, it's just…" Chica started, trailing off. "No one has called me cute before."

"Well, more people should." I remarked, standing up. "That's all done, give her a whirl."

Standing up, she took a few steps. Satisfied that everything seemed in order, she turned back to me.

"I'm glad you could help." She thanked. "Thank you."

"It's no problem, my job after all." I said, packing everything up.

"Is that the only reason you helped me?" Chica asked, crossing her arms with a smirk. "And they say chivalry is dead."

"Not as long as old timers like me are still around." I joked, ruffling her head. "It's almost opening, I'll see you tomorrow cutie."

Walking back to my office, I smiled to myself when I noticed Chica waving at the camera. As she got into position, I noticed Bonnie say something that caused Chica to huff and turn away.

"She really is cute." I said to myself.

*I can't wait to break her.*

* * *

><p>When I came into work later the next day, Mr. Schmidt seems surprised I returned.<p>

"Am I glad to see you." He said, patting me on the back. "For whatever reason, most don't last past the first week. If you make it to the end of the month, you'll be the best guard yet."

"I can't imagine why, not too difficult of a job." I responded, fighting back the urge to ask if he knew the truth about the animatronics "Maybe they couldn't handle the hours?"

"Ha, that could well be it." Mr. Schmidt laughed. "I'm just glad you didn't pull anything like the last man I hired. He seemed like such a good employee, but then he suddenly starts swearing up and down that Freddy's is haunted."

Mr. Schmidt gave a disappointed sigh, turning to fiddle with some papers on his desk.

"Here, lawyers are breathing down my neck about having you sign this." He said, handing me one of the papers. "It's just the usual legal stuff about safety and responsibility, the usual for working at a popular place like Freddy's."

Giving it a quick skim to make sure nothing weird was mentioned, I signed it.

"Good, good. It's about closing time, so I'll head off. See you in the morning." Mr. Schmidt said, waving behind him as he left.

(Pointlessly) Waving back, I made a stop at the kitchen to grab a leftover pizza before setting up in my office. As the other employes filed out, I dimmed the lights and tried to relax.

* * *

><p>With a start, I jerked up as someone started banging on the door. The security office actually had two doors, each going to separate hallways. The doors themselves were fairly strong, large buttons commanding them to slide up and down. There were blind spots for the cameras right outside them, so two other buttons for lights had been installed so the guard could see easier. The banging came from the right door, and with an accompanying hiss I clicked the button to slide it open.<p>

"Hey, we we're wondering if you could do us a favor." Chica asked, looking as awkward as she could manage.

"Sure, does something need fixing?" I asked, getting up.

"No, I…we were wondering if you could listen to us play a few songs." Chica slowly requested. I'm sure that if she could blush, she would be bright red.

Slightly weirded out by her behavior, I accepted none the less.

I was led to their stage, where they had all gotten ready to play. Even Foxy was here.

"Yarr, the lass succeeded!" Foxy exclaimed.

"Sure did." I agreed, pulling up a chair.

"We've never been able to practice new songs before, at least with an audience." Bonnie said, a small smile on her face. "Thanks for coming."

"It's no problem. I'll never refuse free music." I replied. "Although I must admit, I figured you guys would hate having to perform having done it for children all these years."

"We've only done it for so long because we love it." Freddy explained. "It's different to performing for older people, children can only be honest. If they like you then you know it's because you're good, and not because you're popular or anything like that."

Having dealt with the "honesty" of children in the past, this was a new view of it for me.

"Hmm…I've never thought of it like that." I said, thinking back to my younger years.

For every cry of "Freak!" and "Monster!", there was always someone who defended me. I always figured they felt bad for me, so their voices where lost in the hate. But thinking of it like this…even if I couldn't be certain it was true, it made me feel better.

"…rick. Kendrick!" Chica shouted, getting my attention.

"Huh? Sorry, I was…distracted." I said. "I'm ready to listen if you're ready to start."

* * *

><p>They were pretty good; Bonnie hit all her cords, Chica kept the beat with her drums, and even Freddy and Foxy's singing sounded nice. It was a bit strange to have most of the lyrics be about pizza and parties, but what can you do. Clapping when they finished, the gang all gave a little bow.<p>

"That was great guys, good job." I applauded.

"Thanks." Freddy replied. "We love the kids, but it's nice to be praised by someone a bit older."

"You'd be hard-pressed to find someone much older than me here." I remarked.

"Garr, how many years do ye have?" Foxy asked.

"Oh, I stooped counting a long time ago." I answered. "If I had to guess…about…seventy. Yeah, that sounds right. Seventy."

"Wow, you're old." Bonnie giggled.

"Bonnie, don't be rude!" Chica scolded.

"Sorry."

"It's alright, I'm not sensitive about it or anything like that." I interjected. "It's hard to keep track of that kind of thing when you don't celebrate a birthday."

"You don't have a birthday party?" Chica said, sounding scandalized. "But…why?"

"Never had a reason." I shrugged. "I've always been too busy, and have never had many friends. The last time people made a big deal about it, I was living at a carnival. I think I was about…16 or so."

"You lived at a carnival?" Bonnie asked, sounding excited. "What was it like?"

"Oh it was great. Everyone there was nice enough, and I got to meet lots of interesting people. It was hard work, considering we moved around a lot, but definitely worth it." I answered, a smile spreading to my face. "Picked up a few skills as well."

"Yarr, what kind of skills?" Foxy asked, sounding interested as well.

"I got pretty good at juggling." I answered, standing up. "Any suggestions?"

"Could you juggle some chairs?" Bonnie asked.

"Don't be silly Bonnie, he can't-I can't believe it, he's juggling chairs." Chica started to say, only for me, to pick a pair up and start.

Bonnie laughed at my trick and started clapping, as I slowly made my way onto the stage.

"Someone, put a chair in the edge." I instructed, Freddy doing as I asked.

"Alright, let me find the rhythm." I mumbled, hooking a foot under the chair.

Flinging it into the air, I gracefully caught it and started juggling the three. As the show went on, I added another, and then another, until I had six chairs going all at once. I had to drift back and forth so they didn't hit each other in the air, but that only made it look cooler. Bonnie and Foxy where definitely entertained, and even Freddy looked amused. Chica, however, seemed to be distracted by something.

"What's wrong Chica? Not exciting enough?" I teased, getting her attention. "If you want, I could go and find some chainsaws."

"Yes!" "Yarr!"

"No!" Chica replied, waving her arms. "This is dangerous enough as is."

"Have a bit if faith in me, I am a professional after all." I said, loosing concentration for a moment.

It's amazing how quickly your life can change in a moment. Hearing a clang, I looked up to see that I had thrown a chair right into the path of another. They both came down upon me, quickly followed by the rest, so that I soon found myself in a painful heap on the floor. Groaning, I sat up and rubbed the back of my head. I was bleeding slightly, and couldn't see. Panicking, I reached out to get a feel for my surroundings.

"Kendrick!" A voice exclaimed, quickly followed by someone crouching next to me. "Don't move, you could be hurt."

"I…I can't see." I said. "I think I cracked the back of my head."

"That's not good, there's blood." The voice said, followed by someone gingerly touching my wound. "Somebody, find some bandages."

"Yarr!"

"Calm down." I said, getting a hold of myself. "It's not that bad, I just need a moment to heal up."

"Kendrick, you just said you can't see." The voice scolded. "We need to treat the wound."

"Don't worry about it." I replied, my visions slowly returning. "I can already start to see again."

"How many fingers am I holding up?" Chica asked.

"…None?" I answered. "Did…you just try to trick me?"

"…No, of course not." Chica replied, looking sheepish. "You just couldn't see them."

"Chica, I can see you." I deadpanned. "See, I'm fine. Just need to wash my hair."

I stood up, Bonnie and Freddy having taken the chairs and put them away.

"I appreciate the concern, but try not to worry about me." I thanked, helping Chica up. "I'm not worth it."

"Why would you say that? You're our friend." Chica replied, making me stop.

"…But you barely know me." I noted, not believing her. "And until yesterday, I was terrified of you."

"And now, you're listening to us perform and hurting yourself to impress us." Chica retorted. "Admittedly I don't have much experience with this, but I'm fairly certain that makes us friends at the very least."

I didn't respond for a moment, unsure of what to say. No one had ever really said we were friends before. It's always been implied, but this…was a new experience.

"I…thank you." I replied, patting her head. "I'll try to keep that in mind. I should get back to the office, it's almost opening time. I'll see you guys later."

"Oh, well goodnight then." Chica said.

"Goodnight…cutie." I waived, heading back to the office.


End file.
